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  • 3.3 How Civilization Began: Antiquity

    Version 1.3 February 2017                                           (Previous Version)

    These are the questions we ask in the introduction (Section 0.1.6 – paragraph 16):

    Where did civilisation begin?  Who invented arithmetic, money, writing, the wheel?  How did weapons and war develop?  Is government natural?  Where does religion come from?  Why did civilisations thrive in Eurasia and the Americas, but less so in Africa or Australia?

    This chapter covers the period from about 5,000 years ago up to about 1,500 years ago (and up to about 500 years ago in Africa, the Americas and Australia).  In this period many social institutions, such as cities, governments, money, laws and armies developed, as well as most of the world’s traditional religions.  Cultural forms such as art and architecture, poetry, music and theatre became more codified.  In this period intellectual skills developed, such as writing and arithmetic as well as technology such as the wheel, better agriculture, shipping, metal work and weaponry.

    How early societies developed thousands of years ago still affects many people today, especially indigenous people being swamped by modern technological civilisation.

    Much of our knowledge of this period comes from written material, including written laws, trading and accounting records, plays and poems, and philosophical and religious writing.  This material is still supplemented and cross referenced to artefacts, ancient ruins, and other scientific evidence.

    We propose to look at how we know what we know about history under the following headings:

    1. Agriculture and Trade:

    Farming improvements, crafts, travel and trade routes.

    2. Cities and Government:

    Class society, joint irrigation projects, etc.

    Is it reasonable to break down this area into these topics at this level?

    Click on feedback, or add a comment below, to tell us if you agree or disagree, or suggest improvements.

    3. Record Keeping and Writing:

    Inspired by long distance & long term trade

    4. Art and Architecture

    Storages, halls, temples, water & sewerage.

    5. Money and Debt:

    Cash economies, credit and debt.

    6. Egypt and Other Kingdoms

    Early kingdoms across the world.

    7. The Axial Age

    Early world religions and philosophies.

    8. Technologies of War:

    Metal weapons, chariots, the phalanx, etc.

    9. Early Eurasian Empires:

    Han, Mauryan and Roman empires.

    10. Sub-Saharan Africa:

    The tribes and kingdoms of Africa.

    11. Early American Empires:

    The Mayans, Incas and Aztecs.

    12. Australia and the rest:

    Why did these places not develop faster?

    As stated in the chapter overview, this is the current summary of our conclusions in this area:

    Farmers began to produce a surplus which allowed societies to support rulers, priests, trades and craft workers and merchants, and early civilisations adopted different solutions to local problems, developing technology, trade, counting, arithmetic, taxation, money, writing, legal systems, religion and philosophy.

      more                                                              Statement 16

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